This invention relates to an oxide resistor, and particularly to an oxide resistor suitable for absorption of switching surge of a circuit breaker, etc.
As to prior known linear resistors for the circuit breaker, there have been proposed aluminum oxide-clay-carbon-based compositions having such characteristics as a withstanding capacity against the breaker switching surge of 200 Joules/cc, which will be hereinafter referred to as "J/ cc", a resistance-temperature coefficient of -9.times.10.sup.-2 .OMEGA./.degree. C. (20.degree.-250.degree. C.) and an application temperature of 200.degree. C. with a resistivity of about 400 .OMEGA.-cm.
With recent higher transmission voltage, a linear resistor of smaller size and lighter weight has been desired for the circuit breaker, and thus it has been required that (1) the resistor has a larger withstanding capacity aginst the switching surge, (2) the resistor has a less fluctuation in resistivity, even if exposed to a high temperature, since the temperature is elevated by exposure to breaker switching surges, and (3) the resistor must be made from materials having a smaller resistance-temperature coefficient. The conventional resistor is made from an aluminum oxide-clay-based material by adding carbon thereto, and by sintering the mixture in an inert gas atmosphere to control the resistivity through the carbon content, and thus has such disadvantages that (1) the density of sintered product is low and the withstanding capacity against the switching surge is small, (2) the carbon having control of the resistivity is oxidized when the resistor is exposed to a high temperature, resulting in a large fluctuation in the resistivity, and (3) the resistance-temperature coefficient is large.
It is known to use a zinc oxide-based resistor in the circuit breaker [Japanese Patent Application Kobai (Laid-open) No. 55-57219], where the said requirements (1) to (3), particularly the increase in the withstanding capacity against the switching surge, have not been investigated.
As a result of extensive studies of crystal grains in sintered products that form resistors, the present inventors have successfuly satisfied the said requirements.